Brandon Bridge’s confidence is growing

Brandon Bridge is taking a different tack.

Bridge became the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ starting quarterback after Zach Collaros was sidelined with a concussion — an injury that likely will keep Collaros out for at least two more games.

But the Roughriders decided to rotate Bridge and backup David Watford, hoping to use their different skill sets to power the offence. While that may not have appealed to Bridge, he realized he had to grin and bear it.

Calls to and from CFL veterans and retired players made Bridge change his outlook — and it paid off Thursday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Bridge turned in perhaps his best showing of the season to date, which made the rotation moot. Because of Bridge’s efforts, Watford played in only two offensive series in the contest.

Bridge in turn credited those to whom he had spoken after the rotation was implemented during the Roughriders’ game against the Montreal Alouettes on June 30.

“They just said to control whatever I can control, so I changed my whole mentality,” Bridge said after Tuesday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “As opposed to thinking, ‘I’ve only got two series. This sucks,’ and having a bad attitude about it, I’m just executing whatever I have and whatever’s called.

“If I’m out (of the game), then I’ve got to go support and view the game from the sideline, see what they’re doing, go back out there and try to execute if my number is called again.”

It can’t be easy for a fourth-year pro to change his mentality, but Bridge decided it was best to wipe the slate clean and start over. The advice and guidance provided to him by current and former CFL quarterbacks appears to have been invaluable to him as he took that route.

Instead of looking over his shoulder and waiting to get hooked, the 26-year-old product of Mississauga, Ont., just played the game.

“You’re not going to play very long if you have that type of mindset of always worrying about something that you can’t control,” Bridge said. “So you just do what you can do, execute whatever’s called and play football.”

Bridge played in Saskatchewan’s first two series Thursday, completing three of five pass attempts for 17 yards and leading the Roughriders to one Brett Lauther field goal.

Watford took the controls for the team’s next two possessions, going 2-for-3 passing for 13 yards and generating 23 yards of net offence. Saskatchewan didn’t score on either of those drives.

Bridge was back in for the Roughriders’ subsequent possession — and he stayed there for the rest of the game. Watford’s only other appearance was on a short-yardage carry in the fourth quarter.

Bridge missed on only one of 10 pass attempts in the second half and finished the contest with 17 completions in 22 attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown. Saskatchewan accumulated 394 yards of net offence and controlled the ball for 32 minutes 26 seconds.

“He stuck with the game plan and he protected the football,” Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones said Tuesday when asked about Bridge’s showing. “Anytime you can leave and you don’t have any turnovers, you’ve got a good chance to win the game.”

The Roughriders’ next chance to win a game comes Saturday, when the Calgary Stampeders visit Mosaic Stadium.

Calgary is 5-0-0 to start the season and has used a stifling defence to post that record.

So far this season, the Stampeders’ D has allowed just four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) and 46 points to opposing teams. Calgary has forced a league-high 19 turnovers and has a turnover ratio of plus-13; the next-best such number in the league is plus-1.

The Stampeders are the only team in the CFL that has allowed fewer than 300 yards of net offence per game (an average of 243.2) and they’ve surrendered a league-low 75 first downs.

The Roughriders’ burgeoning confidence was borne out when Bridge was asked what he sees from the Stampeders on film.\

“We see a team that hasn’t seen our offence yet,” Bridge said. “It’s the first time we’re seeing Calgary (since) the pre-season game (which the Stamps won 39-12 on June 8) and we’re a different team.

“I see our offence starting to roll right now. People are starting to find a rhythm and we’re starting to find who we are as an offence. I feel that if we do our job, execute, do what we do and do our assignments, we’re going to be a very tough team to beat in this league.”

The Stampeders are the only unbeaten team in the CFL and, with 10 points, they’re already four points clear of the three teams tied for second in the West Division (the 3-2-0 Roughriders, 3-2-0 Edmonton Eskimos and 3-3-0 Winnipeg Blue Bombers).

Jones noted Tuesday that Calgary is very good — “You have to look far and wide for any weaknesses,” he said — but Bridge said the Roughriders won’t be intimidated by the Stampeders.

“If you cut anyone over there, they’re going to bleed red,” he said. “At the end of the day, they’re all human; they’re not Thanos (an alien villain from the Marvel comics).

“They’re not anyone that we should be afraid of, so we’re going to do our game plan and let the chips fall wherever they may.”